Reclaimed (Hostage Rescue Team Series Book 10) by Kaylea Cross Page B

stood by her bed with a phone in her hand. “I’ve got your husband on the line,” she said softly. “Do you want to talk to him?”
    She stared at the nurse. Adam? He knew? The thought of hearing his voice right now was more than she could bear.
    Summer curled tighter around her baby and shook her head as the heartbroken sobs she’d been holding back finally broke free. She didn’t want to talk to Adam. Didn’t want to talk to anyone.
    She couldn’t bear this. Didn’t know how to deal with this searing pain, this horrible emptiness.
    The nurse was murmuring to someone in the background, but the words didn’t register, or the fact that it might be Adam on the other end of the phone.
    “He’s heading to the airport right now,” the nurse told her a few moments later. “He said he’ll be on the first flight back. He said to tell you he’s sorry and that he loves you, and he’ll be here as soon as he can.”
    Summer turned away, curling onto her side with her dead son held tight in her arms. Not caring about anything right now, she didn’t answer. She was too lost, too devastated to even comprehend this loss or how she was going to survive it.
    All she could do was cradle A.J. to her breast and grieve, alone. It was her fault. Her body hadn’t been able to sustain or protect him, yet she’d selfishly gone ahead with the IVF treatments anyway. And he’d paid the ultimate price for it.
    Summer bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, welcoming the pain. God, when she thought of this precious little being tucked inside her just a little while ago, relying on her to protect and take care of him…
    A hot knife of pain sliced through her. She broke. Felt herself split apart.
    Harsh, ugly sobs racked her. She couldn’t stop, was inconsolable. Her son. She couldn’t let him go. They would come and take him from her soon. How was she supposed to let him go?
    She cradled him and vented her grief, her guilt. I’m so sorry, little A.J., please forgive me. So very sorry…

 
     
     

Chapter Ten
     
     
    Present day
     
    When the pilot announced they’d be landing in Amman in a few minutes, Taya stood up to stretch her stiff back briefly before buckling back into her seatbelt. The injuries she’d sustained in Afghanistan normally didn’t bother her much anymore, but sitting in one position for too long made her lower and upper back ache.
    It felt like forever since she’d left D.C. She and Maya had spent the first half of the flight to London chatting about their experiences overseas. Maya was surprisingly open about it, but then, so was she.
    By the time they’d reached London, they’d forged an intimate bond. There’d been no response from Nathan yet, so she knew he was likely out on the hunt somewhere. For Summer’s sake, Taya hoped they found the hostages before she got there.
    This second leg of the journey to Amman had seemed to take forever, probably because Taya was both dreading being there but looking forward to seeing Nathan.
    When the plane parked at the gate, Maya turned to her and arched a dark eyebrow. “Ready?”
    She nodded, checked her phone and found a message from Nathan, sent a few hours ago.
    Sorry, we were busy for a while. I’ll be at the airport when you arrive. Can’t wait to see you!
    “Nathan’s here,” she said, unable to keep the smile from her face. “Let’s do this.”
    Anticipation swirled inside her. It had only been six days since she’d last seen Nathan but she’d missed him like crazy, and seeing him would go a long way to dispel her lingering fears about being here and dredging up all the ugly memories she’d been working so hard to move past.
    Maya went up the jet bridge first. Taya followed close behind her, her heart beating faster as they made their way toward the waiting area at the gate. As soon as they turned the corner she spotted Nathan, standing right next to the podium with Tuck.
    Everything else faded into the background as she drank him in: tall,